Journal box lubricator



April Z8, 1959 w. .1.socKELl. 2,884,239

, JOURNAL Box LUBRICATOR Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Wfl-Socie N BY j n', uw?

ATTORNEY Apnl 28, 1959 w. J. socKELL 2,884,289

` JOURNAL Box LUBRICATOR Filed Junevz, 195s 2 sheets-sneer 2 0 INVENTOR Wc/:So c ke ZZ +I jfnf ATTORNEY United States Patent O JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATOR William I. Sockell, Raleigh, N.C.

Application June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,662 2 Claims. (Cl. 308, 243) This invention relates to a journal box lubricator for lubricating the journals of railway car trucks, and has for its primary object to provide a package or pad type lubricator, prefabricated and of a proper size and density to supply a sufcient amount of lubrication to a wheel axle or journal when applied to the journal box.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a package or pad type lubricator having no loose ends, to eliminate the possibility of hotb'oxes caused by pieces of lubricating material lodging between the wheel axle and the brass of the journal box.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lubricating pad or package of substantial density, capable of absorbing a substantial amount of a lubricant and which is so constructed and shaped that it Will contact a plu'- rality of walls of a journal box for maintaining a substantial surface area of thel pad in contact with the wheel axle or journal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a package or pad which is so constructed that upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the wheel axle the pad will be compressed in a direction lengthwise thereof for forcing the lubricant therefrom to the pad surface engaged by the journal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pad of extremely simple construction and which is capable of being reversed.

Still a further. object of the invention is to provide a lubricating pad having anovel retainer means to prevent movement of 'the pad within the journal box in response to frictional contact of the wheel axle therewith.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through a journal box and showing the pad in longitudinal section located therein, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 1 1 of Figure 4;

Figure 2 is `a top plan view showing the pad removed from the journal box;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the pad;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the journal box showing the pad and its retainer in elevation disposed therein;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the retainer, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the novel pad in its entirety is designated generally 8 and the novel retainer for the pad, is designated generally 9.

The pad 8 is formed from two elongated strips 10 and 11 of a fabric possessing a high degree of absorbency, preferably a knitted wool fabric. The strip 10 which is of substantially greater length than the strip 11 has its 2,884,289 Patented Apr. 28, 1959 "ice end portions wound in opposite directions to form two rolls 12 and 13 each of which is composed of elongated tightly wound convolutions. The rolls 12 Iand 13 are disposed in end-to-end relation lengthwise of the pad 8, 5 as seen in Figure l, and the convolutions of each roll are likewise elongated in a direction lengthwise of the pad 8.

The rolls 12 and 13 of the strip 10, which constitutes the filler of the pad 8, are disposed within the strip 11 forming the pad cover and which is disposed lengthwise around the rolls 12 and 13. The cover forming strip 11 has longitudinally spaced portions thereof stitched together as seen at 14 transversely of the strip 11 and the cover formed thereby, and the end portions rof the cover forming strip, designated 15, which are disposed beyond the stitching 14 are turned inwardly and back upon adjacent portions of the strip 11, as seen in Figure 1, so that said portions are disposed between a side 16 of the cover 11 and the rolls 12 and 13. The portion of the cover forming strip 11 which is disposed between the stitching 14 constitutes an elongated loop in which the filler forming rolls 12 and 13 are snugly confined and so that the longitudinal edges of both strips 10 and 11, forming the pad 8, are exposed.

A plurality of retaining ties 17 extend from side to side through the pad 8, preferably passing through the stitched edge 14 of the side 16 and through an intermediate portion of the opposite side 18 of the pad. Said tie elements also pass through a part of the ller strip 10 which is disposed between the rolls 12 and 13 for anchoring the filler 10 and cover 11 together, and said tie elements 17 are provided with knots or enlargements 19 which engage against the exterior surfaces of the sides 16 and 18 to prevent the tie elements from pulling through said sides, as seen in Figures l, 2 and 3.

The lubricating pad 8 is adapted for use in a conventional journal box 20 `and fits therein beneath the axle or journal 21 and is of a width so that an outer side thereof, as seen in Figure 4, will be spaced a slight distance from the usual end flange 22 of the journal 21. rifhe pad 8 is of a length greater than the width of the journal box 2t] as measured between the side walls 23 thereof'. One side of the pad 8, as for example the side 18, is disposed against the underside of the journal 21 and the pad is of suicient thickness so that the other side 16 thereof will have its intermediate portion resting lupon the journal box bottom 24 to hold the side 18 snugly against the journal 2,1. As the pad 8 is longer than the spacing between the walls 23, the end portions of the pad are curved upwardly so that end portions of the side 16 bear against the walls 23 for supporting the pad ends to thus maintain the pad in its arcuate shape as seen in Figure l with the side 18 thereof forming a concave surface substantially from end-to-end of the pad and which constacts a portion of the axle 21 of substantial area circumferentially of said axle.

The pad 8 is thoroughly saturated with a lubricant before being applied to the journal box 2,0 and the journal box 20` is additionally filled with the lubricant 25 to approximately the level as illustrated in Figure 1.

The closely packed rolls as defined by the filling 10 in addition to being capable of holding `a substantial amount of lubricant also provide a capillary or wick ac tion by which a substantial amount of lubricant is supplied therethrough and through the pad side 18 to the journal 21. As the axle 21 is revolving in one direction, as for example clockwise as seen in Figure 1, the roll 12 will be compressed lengthwise from right to left toward the roll 13 for additionally compressing the roll 13 lengthwise. This compressing of the roll will force additional lubricant to the journal 21. If the direction of rotation l.of the journal is reversed, the roll 13 will be urged assen-se lengthwise of the pad from left to right s o that said rolls will then be compressed longitudinally in the opposite direction for the same purpose. Due to this construction `of thepad 8, a reversal of direction of rotation of the journal eects a slight change in shape of the pad 8 resulting in additional lubricant being supplied to the journal.

The pad 8 tting into the journal box 20 as seen in Figure l Will normally maintain its position as illus* `trated beneath the journal 21 and as there are no loose yends which can become dislodged from the pad, no loose material can be carried upwardly by the journal 21 to engage `between said journal and the brass 26, and which `is the most common cause of hotboxes. It will also be understood that the pad may be inverted so that the side `16 constitutes the uppermost side and will Contact the journal 21 in the same manner that the side 18 contacts the: journal as illustrated in Figure 1. A tape 27 may be secured at its ends to one longitudinal edge of the pad 8 intermediate of the ends of said pad to form a handle to facilitate removal of the pad from the box 20.

To additionally insure retention of the pad 8 correctly positioned within the journal box beneath the journal 21 and to prevent movement of the pad circumferentially or longitudinally of the journal 21, the retainer 9 is provided. To connect the pad 8 to the retainer 9, retainer tapes 28 are secured at their ends to the exterior of the cover 11 at the ends of the underside 16 and longitudinally thereof, adjacent the longitudinal edge of the pad 8 located nearest the journal flange 22, as best illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. The retainer tapes 28 are disposed to bear against the journal box walls 23. The retainer 9 is preferably formed from a single strand of a relatively heavy gauge wire the intermediate portion of which con stitutes the bottom part 29 of the retainer, which is disposed beneath the journal 21 and which is bent to provide two spaced portions of modified V-shaped constituting leg portions 30 the lower portions of which rest upon the bottom 24. The ends of the bottom port-ion 29 are con nected to upwardly extending laterally spaced sideportions 31 of the retainer 9 by elongated loop portions 32 which extend inwardly of the journal box 20 and which straddle the ends of the pad 8 and extend through the unsecured intermediate portions of the retainer tapes 28 for connecting the retainer 9 to the pad 8. The lower portion 29 of the retainer is disposed normally against the longitudinal edge of the pad 8 which is located nearest the journal flange 22, as seen in Figure 4, and which is designated generally 33. As best seen in Figure 4, the upper legs 34 of the loops 32 are longer than the lower legs 35 thereof so that the side portions 31 are spaced outwardly with respect to the bottom portion 29. Said side portions 31 have inwardly converging complementary upper end portions 36 which terminate in adjacently disposed upturned terminals 37. The terminals 37 t spaced openings or sockets 38 in the outer end of the wedge 39 for maintaining the retainer 9 immovable in the journal box 20 and so that the pad 8 will also be held substantially immovable within the journal box, while connected to the retainer 9 as illustrated in Figure 4.

It will be apparent that if the pad 8 is inverted that the tapes 28 should be moved lengthwise of the cover 11 to be properly positioned against the journal box walls 23 to receive the retainer loops 32.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A journal box lubricator comprising a relatively thick pad formed of a lubricant absorbing and conducting material adapted to be mounted in the lower portion of 4a journal box having a bottom and side walls and beneath the journal thereof and parallel to the journal axis, said pad including an underside having an intermediate portion resting on the journal box bottom, said pad being of a width such that side edge portions thereof bear against the side walls of the journal box above and spaced from thejournal box bottom for maintaining the pad curved and substantially concentric to the jour nal, said pad being of a thickness such that an upper side thereof is disposed in contact with the journal substantially across said upper side when the underside and side edge portions of the pad are in contact with the journal box bottom and side walls, respectively, said pad comprising -a ller and a cover and being formed of two elongated strips of -a lubricant absorbing and conducting material including a iirst strip forming the pad filler and a second strip forming the cover, said cover being secured around the filler and including portions constituting said underside and upper side of the pad, said liller comprising rolls formed by closely wound end portions of the first strip, said rolls being disposed in side-by-side relation snugly within the cover and being positioned with their axes substantially parallel to the axis of the journal.

2. A journal box lubricator comprising an elongated relatively thick pad formed of a lubricant absorbing and conducting material, said pad being formed of two elongated strips of lubricant absorbing and conducting material including a first strip forming a pad ller and a second strip forming a cover, said cover being secured around the filler, said liller comprising rolls formed of closely wound end portions of the rst strip, and said rolls being disposed in side-by-side relation and being snugly conned within the cover.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,562 Cunningham et al Nov. 30, 1937 591,406 Koch Oct. 12, 1897 631,502 Hagy Aug. 22, 1899 2,044,248 Keys lune 16, 1936 2,079,734 Ditmore lVIay 11, 1937 2,089,664 Ripley Aug. 10, 1937 2,631,903 Morris Mar. 17, 1953 2,713,524 Hagy `Tuly 19, 1955 2,747,946 Brunner May 29, 1956 2,747,952 Harkenrider May 29, 1956 2,812,223 Diggins Nov. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 206,924 Germany Feb. 17, 1909 

